Sunners, Bombers Divide Softball

August 04, 1985|by RICKI STEIN, The Morning Call

When the first game shaped up as an old pitchers' duel, the guy who "retired" to Florida led the Clearwater Bombers to a 3-0 shutout over the host Allentown Sunners last night at Patriots Park. The Sunners rebounded for a 7-2 win in the men's fastpitch softball nightcap.

Forty-four year-old Bob Quinn has been hurling the big ball for 30 years. He used to square off against Ty Stofflet (the 40-plus-year-old who suffered the loss) years ago when he played in Rhode Island. Several years ago, Quinn headed south, picked up a job teaching school during the winter and pitching in the summer for the Bombers, 10-time national champions. Quinn can still put plenty of stuff on the ball, as he proved in last night's opener in which he held the Sunners to five hits.

"I'm not a strikeout pitcher," insisted the white-haired Quinn, who struck out seven Sunners. "I just tryto change my speed and throw a lot to the corners instead of the center."

Quinn, whose team is 55-15, now boasts 10 shutouts this season in a 20-5 campaign. He credited the youthful-looking Stofflet as one of the all-time greats but decided the Bombers pulled out the win because the Sunners "probably felt a letdown after last night's state championship doubleheader. We jumped on them in the first inning, and it's tough to come back when you're behind."

Indeed, Clearwater scored a run in the first inning thanks to an RBI single by Mike Hazel. Quinn and his teammates steadily stopped the Sunners short of second base and the Bombers added two runs in the fourth inning on three hits. Hazel and Ray Truluck each belted RBI singles to centerfield. Truluck and Hazel each had two hits in the Bombers' six-hit attack.

"We didn't move the ball," the fast-talking, fast-pitching Stofflet offered. "I wasn't overpowering. If I'd been sharper . . . Maybe I threw too hard last night. Quinn's a good pitcher. They're a good team, but we should've beat them."

The Sunners beat Clearwater in the second game with heads-up hitting and base-running. They scored six runs on six hits and two errors in the second inning. Jim Brackin, Mickey Herbert and Jeff Seip stroked RBI singles in the frame. Bill Majors went 2 for 3 and scored two runs in the Sunners' nine-hit victory.

Dennis Amell allowed the Bombers seven hits in pitching the win. For Clearwater, Hazel and Andy Marston had two hits each.

"We were ready to out storming in the second game and we hit like we're capable of hitting," said Sunners' manager Rocco Santilli. "In this game, you've gotta get a jump on the other team. When they get a jump on you, it changes you're strategy and you're playing uphill.

"They won the first game in thefirst inning. We had a letdown after last night. We weren't ready to play. I hope the people see a different team out here tomorrow and I hope we can win three out of four."

The 58-10 Sunners host the Bombers again tonight in a 6 p.m. doubleheader at Patriots Park and Sunners' management hopes twice as many as last night's 500 spectators attend. It'll be a good show if the old pitchers square off again. If they do, it'll likely be in the nightcap this time.